Yiddish is a combination of the local languages of Germany, Poland, Russia, and other Eastern European nations where Jews settled from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century. It's a complete language full of dramatic expression that reached its height of development before World War II.

abi

as long as

aha

expletive signifying a myriad of meanings

aleichem

to you (shalom aleichem & aleichem shalom)

aliyah

to emigrate to Israel; to be called up to the Torah

alter kocker

an old codger

Ashkenazi

Eastern European Jew

ay ay ay

an interjection - wonderful or painful

bagel

hard glazed donut shaped roll

balebos

a boss man: head of household

balebusta

female boss; unbelievably capable homemaker

bar

(Heb.) son of

bar mitzvah

a 13 yr old boy's coming of age ceremony

bas

(Heb.) daughter of

bas mitzvah

a 12 or 13 fir old girl's coming of age ceremony

bashert

predestined; meant to be

bialy

Oat breakfast roll with a depressed center usually sprinkled with onion

bissel

(bissl) a little, a bit

blintz

filled pancake - sauteed or baked

bonditt

a crook; a mischevious or (sometimes) a clever fellow

borsht

cold or hot beet soup

boychik

young boy

bris

circumcision ceremony

brokha

blessing

brokh

misfortune

bubbe

grandmother (bubbemayse- nonsense; old wive's tale)

bubelah

darling, sweetheart - especially a child (lit. "little grandma")

bubkes

nothing - an insulting sum or price

bokher

yeshiva student (lit. chosen)

bulvon

a brute

chai

(khay) life; the number 18

chaim

(khayim) a man's name meaning "life";

chaim yankel

a country bumpkin

challah

soft, braided ceremonial bread glazed with egg white

chochma

wisdom

cholent

(tsholnt) a Slowly cooked stow begun before Sabbath and eaten after

choleria

(kholerya) a plague - used as a curse (M. cholera)

chossen

(khosn) groom

chuppa

(khupa) wedding canopy

chutzpa

unmitigated gall; nerve; daring; gall

daven

(davn) to pray; agonize over a decision

deli

prepared food, or piece where it is sold

derinnen

thing - "in mitn derinnen' - in the middle of the thing

dreck

garbage; something of poor quality (lit. keel

driml

dream

ek

end

emmis

the truth

er

suffix - plural

farbissener

embittered person

farblondget

(farblondzhet) gone astray. lost your bearings confused, mixed up

farfel

farfl noodles in the form of small pallets, granules or squares

farmisht

confused; mixed up

farpatshket

messed up

fartutst

befuddled

feh

exclamation of disgust or disapproval

feygele

an effeminate or gay male (lit. little bird)

flanken

boiled flank steak

fleyshik

made with meat

fonfer

to stutter: a double talker; bluffer; cheater

freilich

happy, joyous

fress

eat, especially a lot or quickly

frum

religious; observant

gefilte fish

fish cakes (lit. "filled fish")

>gelt

money

geshmak

extremely tasty

get

a religious divorce

gevalt

exclamation of help or fear

gezunt

health

ghetto

neighborhood; quarter of a city where Jews were required or chose to live

glatt

strictly kosher (lit. smooth)

glick

luck

glitch

skip; commonly applied today to a minor detect, mishap, or malfunction in a machine. esp. a computer

goniff

thief; rascal

gornisht

nothing

gotenu

(gotenyu) oh my God

gott

God

goy

a non Jew, a gentile

grosse

big

gutt

good

halakha

(halokha) Jewish law

halvah

(khalva) (Arabic) crushed seam candy in a syrup base

hartz

heart

hasid

(khosid) member of ultra orthodox hasidic Jewish sect

heder

(kheyder) room - especially a school room

hamish

(heymish) cozy; homey; familiar

hok

to yak; nag, strike; as in "hok a tshaynik" - to yak a Id

hondel

(hondl) to bargain

hu ha

expression meaning surprise envy or admiration

ic

suffix

im

suffix meaning plural

in

in

is

is

ish

suffix meaning being like

kaddish

mourner's prayer

kalle

bride

kasha

buckwheat groats

keppele

(lit. "little head") usually used affectionately with a child

khaver

friend

khazer

pig; person who is a glutton or selfish

khazeray

fifth, trashy food; assortment of items, junk, nic Am

kibosh

something that serves as a check or stop

kibitz

chit chat; discuss informally; to comment while watching a game or working

kind

child

kinohora

(keyn ayn-hora) sort Vie evil eye

kishkes

guts intestines

klezmer

Eastern European Jewish folk music

klog

Woo

klug

smart or clever

klutz

a clumsy person

knaker

big shot someone who thinks they are very important

kneidel

(kneydl) a dumping - usually made of matzo meal

knish

dumpling usually made of potato or kasha

kop

head (loch in kop - a "hole in the head')

kosher

in accordance with Jewish dietary laws; honest

kreplach

(kreplekh) stuffed dumplings ~ usually served in a soup

kugel

(kugl) noodle or potato pudding

kveil

(kvel) to be delighted; beam with pride; especially over children

kvetch

(kvetsh) a complainer; to complain

lacht

(lakht) laughs

landsman

person from the old neighborhood or country

latke

potato pancake

leben

life

liebe

love

litvak

Lithuanian Jew

loch

(lokh) hole - 'loch in kW (lit. hole in the bead)

lokshn

a tall thin person (lit. noodle)

lox

smoked salmon

loyf

run

luft

air ("luftmensch" - an Impractical fellow - a dreamer)